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Indian Leading Badminton Stars Withdraw from BWF Japan Open 2024

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Image source- https://sports.ndtv.com/
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Top stars of the Indian badminton team’s including badminton world championship players, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Rankireddy Satwiksairaj, and Shetty/Chirag have pulled out of the BWF Japan Open 2024. The tournament is expected to commence on August 24 immediately after the Paris Olympics close.

This move has garnered much attention as it affects the rosters of the one of the early marquee badminton sport post Olympics. 

Key Withdrawals from the Tournament

The withdrawal of badminton top players from India is a significant development for the BWF Japan Open. Among those who pulled out are:

  • PV Sindhu: One of India’s all-time greats in badminton, PV SINdhu was a major blow. As one of the biggest names on the international circuit, her absence will create a vacuum in women’s singles.
  • Lakshya Sen: Well-known Indian player who face the challenge of Viktor Axelsen in a thrilling contest during Paris Olympics for bronze, has decided also to save himself from Japan Open. The buzz about his Olympic-size near-miss was impossible to avoid and soon fans began anticipating when he would race next.
  • Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty: The prolific international campaigners would be playing their trade at the championship as well. Their absence has opened the men’s doubles section with other pairs now coming in as favourites.

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Image source- https://www.sportskeeda.com/

Impact on the Japan Open

BWF Japan Open 2024 was one of the anticipated tournaments after The Olympics in that year. The loss of some marquee names, both Indian and international has changed the equation a bit.

Defending Champions and Key Participants

 The tournament is still rich in its lineup although those are some notable names that dropped out.

  • Viktor Axelsen: Returning after winning his second Olympic gold, also the biggest draw. As the title holder, he is not there to make up numbers. 
  • Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong dan Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino: Juara bertahan nomor ganda putri dan campuran ini adalah antar pemain terbaik yang telah mengonfirmasi partisipasinya. 
  • Shi Yu Qi, Jonatan Christie and Anders Antonsen (Men’s Singles): These men will be in the limelight when they battle for the title of top player on day 2 this Sunday as some big players are not in action. 
  • Women’s Singles: Tai Tzu Ying, Akane Yamaguchi, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung: The game is as dangerous for the top seeds in ES with these players.

Withdrawn Players

Besides the Indians shuttlers, here is a list of other notable names who have opted out:

  • Olympic champions Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik: The former pair are absentees in the mixed doubles. 
  • Chen Yu Fei, Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti: They are among one of the top ranked players in women’s singles and doubles categories respectively.

Potential Outcomes and Expectations

The withdrawals open up the field for other players and pairs, who now have a better shot at advancing further in the tournament. While the absence of star players might reduce the overall buzz, the Japan Open still promises exciting matches and potential upsets. Some badminton doubles are-

  • Men’s Doubles: World champions Seo Seung Jae/Kang Min Hyuk will now be seen as strong contenders for their first Japan Open title.
  • Women’s Doubles: there could be a twist in this field, local pairs Chiharu Shida/Nami Matsuyama and Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara trying to beat Korea.
  • Mixed Doubles – Olympic Bronze medalists Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino will aim to retain their title up against the other leading ranked pairs.

Conclusion 

The BWF Japan Open 2024 has been somewhat realigned due to the absence of players, especially Indians. For some it may have subdued the glamour of the hunt but on the same note, it offers a chance to the novices on the international circuit to rise to the occasion.

The tournament will also have many competitive players as major players from both teams will not participate reducing the quality of matches to be played. Audiences will be able to look forward to new picks when the usual line-up is changed.

Reference links:

https://sports.ndtv.com/badminton/pv-sindhu-lakshya-sen-satwiksairaj-rankireddy-chirag-shetty-withdraw-from-bwf-japan-open-6328617

https://www.sportskeeda.com/badminton/news-lakshya-sen-satwik-chirag-pull-japan-open-following-paris-2024-olympics-heartbreak

https://thebridge.in/badminton/lakshya-sindhu-prannoy-withdraw-japan-open-49074

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